Combine the Best Two Things – Shaykh Sulayman al Ruhayli حفظه الله [Video | Ar-En Subtitles]

Combine the Best Two Things – Shaykh Sulayman al Ruhayli حفظه الله [Video | Ar-En Subtitles]
https://youtu.be/02wlDIXpOjI [1:20 min]

Qur’an (Main Page): https://abdurrahman.org/quran/

Contemplating Over Sūrah al Naba – Shaykh Sulaymān al Ruhaylī [Ar|En Subtitles]

Contemplating Over Sūrah al Naba – Shaykh Sulaymān al Ruhaylī
https://youtu.be/FaHr7ffVGxM [43 min]

Tafseer-ul-Qur’an (Main Page)
https://abdurrahman.org/tafseer-ul-quran/

Contemplating Over Sūrah al ‘Asr – Shaykh Sulaymān al Ruhaylī [Video|Ar-En Subtitles]

Contemplating Over Sūrah al ‘Asr – Shaykh Sulaymān al Ruhaylī [Video|Ar-En Subtitles]
https://youtu.be/YomaOoqSFFk [26 min] [Arabic|English Subtitles]
Extremely Beneficial video. Try your best to benefit from it and share it with your friends and family.

Shaykh Sulaymān al Ruhaylī حفظه الله
https://abdurrahman.org/tag/shaykh-sulaymaan-ar-ruhaylee/

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Contemplating Over the Story of Ibrāhīm & the Angels – Shaykh ‘Abdurrazzāq al Badr [Video|Ar-En Subtitles]

Contemplating Over the Story of Ibrāhīm & the Angels – Shaykh ‘Abdurrazzāq al Badr حفظه الله
https://youtu.be/R9IIWUyqu8Q [Arabic | english subtitles] [52 mins]

The Noble Qur’aan is one of the greatest fortifiers of eemaan and the most beneficial reasons behind its increase – Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaak al-‘Abbaad
https://abdurrahman.org/2018/09/15/the-noble-quraan-is-one-of-the-greatest-fortifiers-of-eemaan

[Shaykh ‘Abdurrazzāq al Badr حفظه الله]
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Tafseer of Surah Al-Baiyyinah – Dr. Saleh As-Saleh [Audio|En]

Bismillaah

Tafseer – 098- Al-Bayyinah – Saleh-As-Saleh

The following has been taken from Tafseer Ibn Kathir (Darussalam English Publication) :

Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah said to Ubayy bin Ka`b,

(Verily, Allah has commanded me to recite to you (Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Scripture.)) Ubayy said, “He (Allah) mentioned me by name to you” The Prophet replied,

(Yes.) So he (Ubayy) cried. Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i all recorded this Hadith from Shu`bah.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ

رَسُولٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً

فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ

وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

(1. Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Scripture and the idolators, were not going to leave until there came to them the Bayyinah.) (2. A Messenger from Allah reciting purified pages.) (3. Wherein are upright Books.) (4. And the People of the Scripture differed not until after there came to them the Bayyinah.) (5. And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, making religion purely for Him alone, Hunafa’, and that they perform Salah and give Zakah, and that is the right religion.)

As for the People of the Scripture, they are the Jews and the Christians, and the idolators are the worshippers of idols and fire among the Arabs and the non-Arabs. Mujahid said, they are not going

(to leave) “Meaning, they will not be finished until the truth becomes clear to them.” Qatadah also said the same thing.

(until there came to them the Bayyinah.) meaning, this Qur’an. This is why Allah says,

(Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Scripture and idolators, were not going to leave until there came to them the Bayyinah.) Then He explains what the Bayyinah is by His saying,

(A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified pages.) meaning, Muhammad and the Magnificent Qur’an he recites, which is written down among the most high gathering in purified pages. This is similar to Allah’s statement,

(In Records held in honor. Exalted, purified, in the hands of scribes (angels). Honorable and obedient.) (80:13-16) Then Allah says,

(Wherein are upright Books.) Ibn Jarir said, “Meaning in the purified pages are Books from Allah that are upright, just and straight. They have no mistakes in them because they are from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.”

Allah says,

(And the People of the Scripture differed not until after there came to them the Bayyinah.) This is similar to Allah’s statement,

(And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the Bayyinat came to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment.) (3:105) This refers to the people of those divinely revealed Scriptures that were sent down to the nations that were before us. After Allah established the proofs and evidences against them, they divided and differed concerning that which Allah had intended in their Scriptures, and they had many differences. This is like what has been reported in a Hadith that has many routes of transmission,

(Verily, the Jews differed until they became seventy-one sects. And verily, the Christians differed until they became seventy-two sects. And this Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in the Fire except one.) They said, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah” He replied,

((Those who are upon) what I and my Companions are upon.)

Allah says,

(And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, making religion purely for Him alone,) This is similar to Allah’s statement,

(And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him: La ilaha illa Ana.) (21:25) Thus, Allah says,

(Hunafa’) meaning, avoiding Shirk and being truly devout to Tawhid. This is like Allah’s statement,

(And Verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah, and avoid the Taghut (false deities).”) (16:36) A discussion of the word Hanif has already been mentioned previously and in Surat Al-An`am, so there is no need to repeat it here.

(and perform Salah) And this is the best of the physical forms of worship.

(and give Zakah,) This is doing good to the poor and the needy.

(and that is the right religion.) meaning, the upright and just religion, or the nation that is straight and balanced.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ

جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۖ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ 

(6. Verily, those who disbelieve from among the People of the Scripture and idolators, will abide in the fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures.) (7. Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures.) (8. Their reward with their Lord is Eternal Gardens, underneath which rivers flow. They will abide therein forever, Allah will be pleased with them, and they well-pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord.)

Allah informs of what will happen to the wicked disbelievers among the People of the Scripture and the idolators who oppose the Allah’s divinely revealed Books and the Prophets whom He sent. He says that they will be in the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement and they will abide therein forever. This means that they will remain in it and they will have no way out of it and they will not cease being in it.

(They are the worst of creatures.) meaning, they are the worst creation that Allah has fashioned and created. Then Allah informs about the situation of the righteous people who believed in their hearts and performed righteous deeds with their bodies. He says that they are the best of creation. Abu Hurayrah and a group of the scholars have used this Ayah as a proof that the believers have a status among the creatures that is better than the angels. This is because Allah says,

(They are the best of creatures.) Then Allah says,

(Their reward with their Lord) meaning, on the Day of Judgement.

(is Eternal Gardens underneath which rivers flow. They will abide therein forever,) meaning, having no end, no break and no conclusion.

(Allah will be pleased with them, and they well-pleased with Him.) The condition of Him being pleased with them is more illustrious than all of the everlasting delights that they will be given.

(and they well-pleased with Him.) Due to the comprehensive favors He has given them. Then Allah says,

(That is for him who fears his Lord.) meaning, this is the reward that will be attained by those who revere Allah and fear Him as He deserves to be feared. This is the person who worships Allah as if he sees Him, and he knows that even though he does not see Him, indeed Allah sees him.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Shall I not inform you of the best of creation) They said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah!” He said,

(A man who takes the reins of his horse in the way of Allah, and whenever there is a fearful cry from the enemy, he climbs upon it. Shall I not inform you of the best of creation) They said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah!” He said,

(A man who has a flock of sheep and he establishes the prayer and gives the obligatory charity. Shall I not inform you of the worst of creation) They said, “Of course.” He said,

(The person who is asked by Allah and he does not give by Him.)

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Lam Yakun (Al-Bayyinah), and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

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“ihdinā aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm” (Guide us to the straight path) – Explained by Shaykh Uthaymeen

Bismillaah

The Explanation of Verse 5 of Sooratul Faatiha

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

ihdinā aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm
Guide us to the straight path.

“the path” (aṣ-Ṣirāṭ): Regarding this word, there are two permissible recitations, one with the Arabic letter س (sīn) as in السِّرَاط and another with the letter ص (ṣād) as it is here in the verse: الصِّرَاط . The meaning of aṣ-Ṣirāṭ is the way or path. The meaning of “Guide us” refers to the guidance of showing and directing to the right path as well as the guidance of granting success. So, by reciting, “Guide us to the straight path”, you are asking Allah for beneficial knowledge (which is the guidance of direction) and righteous action (which is the guidance of success in following the knowledge).

“straight” (al-Mustaqīm): This means the correct path with no crookedness or deviation.

Points of Benefit of al-Fātiḥah, Verse 5:

1. From the benefits we gain from this verse is the concept of mankind’s resorting back to Allah. After requesting Allah’s help in fulfilling his worship in the previous verse, mankind now asks Allah to guide them to the straight path. There must be sincerity solely to Allah in worship as indicated by the verse, “You alone we worship” and help must be sought in fulfilling and strengthening this worship as indicated by the verse, “and from you alone we seek help“. Also, one must follow the Islamic legislation and this is indicated by the verse, “Guide us to the straight path” because the straight path is none other than the complete legislation with which the messenger ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) has come with.

2. Another point from this verse is that the eloquence of the Qur’an is shown in that there is no preposition after “Guide us” in the Arabic text.

[TN: The author here refers to the original Arabic text. The verse would literally be translated as “Guide us the straight path” without the added English preposition “to.”]

This point is made so that the verse would contain both types of seeking guidance: the guidance of knowledge and direction, and the guidance of success and action.

This first type is only the directing to and showing the straight path, and Allah guides all of mankind with this meaning of guidance as in his statement:

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ 

The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed (as) guidance for mankind. [Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:185]

The second type of guidance is the granting of success along with the first type of guidance and the following of the Islamic legislation as Allah ( سبحانه وتعالى ) says:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

That is the book, wherein there is no doubt, a means of guidance for the Muttaqīn (those who are constantly and fearfully conscious of Allah). [Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:2]

This second type of guidance may not be achieved by some people as Allah says:

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى

And as for (the people of) Thamūd, we guided them (i.e. showed them the right way), but they preferred blindness over guidance. [Sūrah al-Fuṣṣilat, 41:17)

Here, “we guided them” means: We made clear to them the truth and directed them to follow it but they chose not to accept the guidance.

3. Another benefit we get from this verse is that the “path” is of two types: one straight and all others crooked.

Whatever is in accordance with the truth, it is the straight path as Allah tells the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) to say:

وَأَنَّ هَذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ

And this is my straight path so follow it and do not follow (other) paths for they will separate you away from his (Allah’s) path. [Sūrah al-An’ām, 6:153]

And anything that opposes the truth is a crooked path.

The Explanation of Verses 6 & 7  of Sooratul Faatiha

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ

Ṣirāṭ al-ladhīna an’amta ‘alayhim
The path of those you bestowed grace upon

غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا الضَّالِّينَ

ghayri al-Maghḍūbi ‘alayhim wa lā aḍ-Ḍālīn
Not of those who earned anger upon themselves, nor of those who are astray.

“The path of those you bestowed grace upon” (Ṣirāṭ al-ladhīna An’amta ‘alayhim):

This verse is connected to the previous verse and provides further clarification of “the straight path”.

“those you bestowed grace upon” (al-ladhīna an’amta ‘alayhim):

They are the same ones mentioned in the statement of Allah in another part of the Qur’an:

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ  وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا

And whoever obeys Allah and the messenger, then they will be with those Allah bestowed grace upon of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. And what excellent companions they are! [Sūrah an-Nisā, 4:69]

“Not of those who earned anger upon themselves” (ghayri al-Maghḍūbi ‘alayhim): Such as the followers of Judaism and anyone else who knows the truth yet refuses to act according to it.

“nor of those who are astray” (wa lā aḍ-Ḍālīn): Such as the Christians before the mission of the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) began. It also refers to anyone who works contrary to the truth, choosing to remain ignorant of it.

Regarding the word “upon them” (‘alayhim), it has two acceptable recitations from the seven forms: one is with a (ḍammah) on the letter هُ (hā) making the reading عَلَيْهُم (‘alayhum) and the other reading is the common one with a (kasrah) on the هِ (hā) which is read as عَلَيْهِم (‘alayhim).

It is important to know that any different form of recitation that is not within the copies of the Qur’an that most people have, this different recitation, even though it is permissible, should not be read among common people who may not be aware of the different ways of reciting. This is due to three reasons:

1. Even the common people, although unaware of the different forms of recitation, consider this Qur’an to be something amazing and honorable. Their hearts are filled with its greatness and respect for it. If they began to hear it read sometimes one way and then other times a different way, then this may result in the Qur’an being lower with them from the high status it was once given. This is only because they are not aware of the various recitations and therefore cannot distinguish between them.

2. If someone recites with the different forms of recitation, he may be accused of making mistakes and not knowing how to recite. This is because he recites in a way that is unknown to most people. So, this reader, even though may be correct, is then spoken about in a negative way amongst the majority of the people.

3. Even if a common person gives someone reciting in a different way the benefit of the doubt and believes that he knows what he recites, then such a person may begin to blindly follow the one reciting in the various ways of reading. So, perhaps he, the common person, may then mistakenly recite a way different from any of the permissible ways believing it to be one of the seven allowable recitations of the Qur’an. This would then be a form of distortion and corruption. For this reason, ‘Alī (رضي الله عنه), one of the prophet’s companions, said, “Speak to people according to what they know, (otherwise) would you like that they (unknowingly) deny what Allah and his messenger say (because you confuse them)?” [Recorded by al-Bukhārī as notes to another ḥadīth (no. 127)]

And Ibn Mas’ūd ( رضي الله عنه ), another companion of Prophet Muhammad ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم), said, “You will never speak to any people with something that they cannot comprehend except that it will become a Fitnah (negative trial or tribulation) for some of them.” [Recorded by Muslim (no. 14)]

And whenever ‘Umar Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb heard Hishām Ibn Ḥakīm recite a verse that he had never heard recited in that way before, he (‘Umar) dragged him to the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) and informed him of this. The prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) said to Hishām:

اِقْرَأ

Recite.

When he finished reading, the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) said:

هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ

It was revealed in this way.

Then the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) told ‘Umar to recite and afterwards again said:

هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ

It was (also) revealed in this way.

[Recorded by al-Bukhārī (no. 4992) and Muslim (no. 818)]

The Qur’an was revealed in seven different dialects and the people used to recite in all of them until ‘Uthmān gathered the people together upon one common recitation because they were beginning to differ and dispute over each other’s recitations. He feared that the differences would become severe, dividing the people. So, he gathered them all together upon one recitation which was the dialect of the Quraysh tribe because the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ), upon whom the Qur’an was revealed, was sent from and among them. The other forms of recitation were somewhat forgotten by most people. So, if ‘Umar ( رضي الله عنه ) did what he did to another companion, then what about an ordinary person who hears you recite in a way different from the familiar copy of the Qur’an he has?

And thanks to Allah, the scholars have always been in agreement that it is not compulsory for people to recite in all the different permissible ways. If a person remains reciting upon one particular recitation, there is no problem with this. So, avoid problems and what could lead to them.

Points of Benefit of al-Fātiḥah, Verses 6 and 7:

1. From the benefits we gain from these two verses is the mentioning of specific descriptive details after a general description. This is from the verse, “Guide us to the straight path” – this is a general description and “The path of those you bestowed grace upon” is a more specific and detailed description of the path.

The benefit in mentioning something general and then afterwards more relevant details is that when a person hears of something general that could benefit him, he might eagerly anticipate more details and a clearer explanation. Then, after becoming aware of the detailed descriptions, he is ready to accept them and anxiously hopes to obtain what is mentioned.

Another benefit is the explanation that the people upon whom Allah has bestowed his favors and grace, they are the same ones who are upon the straight path as a result of this grace.

2. Another point we learn from this verse is that the blessing of guidance, with which some people have been favored, is directly from Allah alone; it is a pure favor from Allah.

3. From the verse, we understand that all of mankind is of either one of three categories: those upon whom Allah has bestowed his grace, those who have earned anger upon themselves, or those who are astray. Each of these categories has already been explained previously.

The ways leading away from the straight path are either ignorance or arrogant disobedience.The ones who were taken away from the straight path due to arrogance and disobedience, they are those who earned anger upon themselves and the head of this group are the followers of Judaism. The other group, those who have deviated from the straight path due to ignorance, they are any people who do not know the truth, the main ones among these being the Christians. However, this was their (the Christian’s) situation before the advent of the last prophet, Muhammad (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم). Now that the prophet’s mission has been established and completed, they have known the truth but in spite of that, opposed it. So, they and the Jews both have become the same – all of them are those who have earned anger upon themselves (if they do not repent and accept Allah’s religion).

4. These last two verses also illustrate the eloquence of the Qur’an in that the expression used to refer to those who have earned anger upon themselves, مَغْضُوْب (Maghḍūb), is in the Arabic form (according to Arabic morphology) known as the مَفْعُوْل (maf’ūl) – an Arabic conjugal form that indicates that the anger upon them has already begun and is continuously occurring from Allah and from his close allies.

5. Another point we learn from these verses is that the severest type of misguided group is placed first, then the next in severity. Allah mentioned those who earned anger upon themselves before those who are astray because the first are more severe in opposition to the truth than the ones astray and misguided. Opposing something while being fully aware of it is much harder to return from than opposing something simply because of being ignorant of it.

Posted from the article : Explaining Surah al-Fatihah – Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah | Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison rahimahullaah

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Explaining Sūrah al-Takwīr – Shaykh Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn

Bismillaah

Title: Explaining Sūrah al-Takwīr
Original Title: تفسير جزء عمّ
Original Author: Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn
Translator : Abu az-Zubayr Harrison – authentic-translations.com

Click on the below link to read or download the full article PDF:

Explaining Surah al-Takwir – Shaykh Uthaymeen [PDF] [45 Pages]

The following posts are extracted from this e-book:

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“al-Ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil-‘Ālamīn” – Explained by Shaykh Uthaymeen

Bismillaah

The Explanation of Verse 1 of Sooratul Faatiha

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

(al-Ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil-‘Ālamīn)
All praise and thanks are for Allah, the lord of all creations.

“All praise and thanks” (al-Ḥamd): This word الْحَمْدُ (al-Ḥamd) is used only to describe someone, out of love and honor, with complete perfection of self, attributes, and actions. So, Allah is perfect in his self, his attributes, and his actions. This praising, however, must be with a condition, it must be made with love and honor. The people of knowledge say that simply describing someone with perfection yet not out of real love and honor for the praised one is not called حَمْدُ (Ḥamd). Rather, in that case it would only be called مَدْح (Madḥ) (a lesser degree of praise or admiration). Therefore, this (second) type of praising occurs often from people while they may not really love the one they are praising. Often, they only want to gain something from them. For example, some poets stand before their government leaders and recite poetry of amazing praiseworthy descriptions of them yet void of any real love for them. The poets’ love is for the wealth they are given or they do this out of fear of the leaders. On the contrary, our praise for our lord is a form of praise out of love and honor. So, “All praise and thanks” is to praise the one described with total perfection out of love and honor for him.

The ال (al-) in الْحَمْدُ (al-Ḥamd) is inclusive, meaning that it includes all forms of praise and thanks.

“are for Allah” (lillāhi): The لِ (li) is to show possession and a sense of deserving. The name “Allah” is the proper name of our lord ( عزّ وجلّ ) and no one else is given this name; it means the one god that is worshipped out of love and honor.

“the lord” (Rabb): The word “lord” here includes three main descriptions: the creator, the owner, and the controller of all affairs. So, he is the creator of all that exists, the owner of all that exists, and the controller of everything.

“of all creations” (al-‘Ālamīn): As for the word “‘Ālamīn”, the scholars say it refers to anything and everything other than Allah. Everything else besides Allah is described with this word because the very existence of everything is a sign or indication (in Arabic: Ālam) that they have a creator (سبحانه وتعالى) In every form of creation there is a sign indicating the existence of its creator, his capability, wisdom, mercy, power, and the rest of his attributes of lordship.

Points of Benefit of al-Fātiḥah, Verse 1:

1. One of the beneficial points we gain from this verse is the affirmation of praise of perfection to Allah ( عزّ وجلّ ). This is shown by the “al-” in the word “al-Ḥamd” because this definite article in Arabic grammar is inclusive to include all forms or praise and gratitude.

2. It also shows that Allah alone deserves all forms of praise and gratitude. For this reason, the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) used to say whenever something happened he was happy with:

الحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ تُتِمُّ الصَّالِحَات

All praise and thanks are for Allah by whose favor righteous deeds are fulfilled.

And he would say when if something did not please him:

الحَمْدُ للهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ

All praise and thanks are for Allah in all situations.[18]

3. Another point of benefit from the verse is the description of Allah with his sole right to worship first before describing him with his lordship. This is either indicated because the name “Allah” is his proper name, specific to him and the source of all the rest of His names; or it is due to the fact that the people the messengers were sent to used to only deny Allah’s sole right to worship. Most of the people did not deny Allah’s lordship (that he is the creator, owner, and controller of everything).

4. This verse also proves Allah’s complete lordship over all of the creations due to his statement: “The lord of all creations.”

Footnotes:

[18] Recorded by Ibn Mājah (no. 3803) and al-Ḥākim in his “Mustadrak” (1/449) and he said, “This ḥadīth has an authentic chain of narrators.” adh-Dhahabī agreed with him. The famous ḥadīth scholar, al-Albānī, said it is “ḥasan” in “Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan Ibn Mājah” (no. 3066).

Posted from the article : Explaining Surah al-Fatihah – Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah | Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison rahimahullaah

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Is the Basmalah an actual verse of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah or Not? – Shaykh al-‘Uthaymīn

Question: Is the Basmalah (بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ) an actual verse of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah or Not?

Shaykh al-Uthaymeen:

The scholars hold differing opinions about this issue. Some say that it is definitely a verse from al-Fātiḥah and it should be recited aloud in those prayers which are recited out-loud. They believe it is not correct unless the Basmalah is recited since it is part of the entire chapter of al-Fātiḥah. Other scholars say that it is not a verse of al-Fātiḥah, but it is a separate verse from the book of Allah. This latter opinion is the correct one and is proven by other texts as well as the context of the chapter itself.

As for the textual proof, Abū Hurayrah ( رضي الله عنه ) narrated a ḥadīth in which the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) said:

I have divided the prayer in two parts between myself and my servant

Allah ( تَعَالَى ) says,

“I have divided the prayer in two parts between myself and my servant.” When the servant recites, “All praise and thanks are to Allah, the lord of all creations”, Allah says, “My servant has praised me.” And when he recites, “The Most-Merciful, the Bestower of all mercy”, Allah says, “My servant has honored me.” When he recites, “The owner of the Day of Recompense”, Allah says, “My servant has glorified me.” When he recites, “You alone we worship and from you alone we seek help”, Allah replies, “This is two parts between my servant and I.” When he recites, “Guide us to the straight path…” until the end of the chapter, Allah replies, “This is for My servant and he will have what he asks for.”

[Recorded by Muslim (no. 395)]

This is a textual proof that the Basmalah is not an actual verse of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah (because it was not the first statement the servant says as mentioned in this ḥadīth).

There is another authentic statement of Anas ibn Mālik ( رضي الله عنه ) in “Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim” in which he said:

I prayed behind the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ), Abū Bakr, and ‘Umar and none of them used to mention “In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the Bestower of all mercy” at the beginning of their recitations (of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah) nor at the end of it.

[Recorded by Muslim (no. 399)]

What is meant is that each of them used not to mention it aloud. The fact that there is a distinction between it not being recited aloud as the rest of al-Fātiḥah is recited indicates that it is not actually a part of the chapter.

As for the proof from the context of the other verses’ meanings, Sūrah al-Fātiḥah consists of seven verses as is unanimously agreed upon. If you wanted to measure out seven verses as they pertain to the topics of the chapter, you will find that the middle verse is:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

You alone we worship and from you alone we seek help. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:4]

This is the same verse about which Allah says, “This is two parts between my servant and I” in the previous ḥadīth. This is because the first verse is:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

All praise and thanks are for Allah, the Lord of all creations. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:1]

The second verse is:

الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم

The Most Merciful, the Bestower of all mercy. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:2]

The third verse:

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

The owner of the Day of Recompense. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:3]

These three previous verses are all about the rights of Allah (his attribute, actions, etc.).

As for the verse:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

You alone we worship, and from you alone we seek help.[Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:4]

This is the fourth verse and the half-way point and it too is even divided into two parts, one part for Allah (“You alone we worship…”) and one part for the servant (“…from you alone we seek help.”).

The following verses are:

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Guide us to the straight path. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:5]

This is for the servant.

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ

The path of those upon whom You bestowed Your grace. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:6]

This is also for the servant.

غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا الضَّالِّينَ

Not of those who earned anger upon themselves, nor of those who are astray. [Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:7]

And finally, this last verse is also for the servant.

So, three verses are for Allah ( عزّ وجلّ ) and they are the first three. And three verses are for the servant and they are the last three. One verse is between both the servant and his lord and it is the fourth and middle verse.

As for the proof from the context of the wordings, if we say that the Basmalah is a verse of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, then the seventh verse would be very long – as long as two of the other verses (thus making the last and incomparably long verse, “The path of those upon whom you bestowed your grace, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who are astray.”). But it is known that the principle of the verses being similar to each other is also regarding their length.

So, the correct opinion no doubt is that the Basmalah is not a verse of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah just as it is not a verse (at the beginning) of every other chapter in the Qur’an.

Posted from the article : Explaining Surah al-Fatihah – Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah | Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison rahimahullaah

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“iyyāka na’budu wa iyyāka nasta’īn” – Shaykh al-‘Uthaymīn

The Explanation of Verse 4 of Sooratul Faatiha

 إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ 

iyyāka na’budu wa iyyāka nasta’īn

You alone we worship, and from you alone we seek help.

“You alone” (iyyāka): This is a case in grammar when the direct object comes before the verb, “we worship” (na’budu). In Arabic grammar, when the direct object precedes the verb, it gives a sense of restriction, so the meaning would be, “We do not worship anyone or anything except you alone.”

“we worship” (na’budu): Meaning: We humble ourselves to you in complete humility.

In this way, you find the believers placing the most honorable part of their bodies (their faces) at the level of their feet in humility to Allah (عزّ وجلّ). They prostrate on the ground, covering their foreheads with dirt. This is from their humbleness before Allah. And if another person were to say, “I will give you the whole world and what it contains, just prostrate to me once,” you will never find true believers accepting this because this type of humility is a form of worship specifically for Allah alone.

The word “worship” includes doing everything Allah commands and avoiding everything he forbids. Whoever is not in accordance with this, not carrying out what he is commanded to do and avoiding what he is forbidden to do then he is not a true worshipper and servant. A worshipper is someone who obeys the one he worships in whatever he legislates. So, worship requires that mankind carry out everything they are commanded to do and avoid everything they are forbidden from doing. However, it is not possible to fulfill all of these duties without the help and assistance of Allah. Because of this, Allah ( سبحانه وتعالى ) then says:

“and from you alone we seek help” (wa iyyāka nasta’īn): Meaning, “We do not seek the help of anyone else in worship or in anything else.” This “seeking of help” is to request the help and assistance, and Allah combines between worship and the seeking of assistance or reliance in many places the noble Qur’an. This is because worship could not be completely established except with the help of Allah by entrusting one’s affairs to him, and relying on him.

Points of Benefit of al-Fātiḥah, Verse 4:

1. From the virtues of this verse is the sincerity in worship that is due to Allah alone as he says, “You alone we worship“. It shows that this worship is due only to Allah by the direct object (“You”) coming before the verb (“we worship”) according to the rules of Arabic grammar.

2. Another point is that seeking help is also sincerely and solely for Allah based on the statement, “and from you alone we seek help“. Likewise, the direct object precedes the verb indicating a sense of restriction just like in the first part of the verse.

Those points being said, what if someone asks:

How is it that seeking help is exclusively for Allah alone when there has come in another verse:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى 

And help one another in righteousness and piety.[Sūrah al-Māidah, 5:2]

So, how do we understand the previous statements about seeking help only from Allah when, here in this verse, Allah confirms that seeking help from other than himself is permissible (rather it is a command here)? Also, the prophet ( صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ) said:

 تُعِيْنُ الرَّجُلَ فِي دَابَّتِهِ، فَتَحْمِلُهُ عَلَيْهَا، أَوْ تَرْفَعُ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا مَتَاعَهُ صَدَقَةٌ 

Helping someone onto his riding animal, carrying him on it, or lifting his belongings up to him while he is on it – all of these are (considered) acts of charity. [Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 2891) and Muslim (no. 1009)]

The answer to this question is that the act of seeking help and assistance is of two types. The first type is to request help while entrusting all affairs to the one you ask from. For example, you rely completely on Allah and you realize that any result you seek will not come from your own power or capability. This type of seeking help is specific for Allah ( تعالى ); he alone deserves this type.

The second type is to request help or cooperation in something you want to accomplish. This type is permissible as long as the one being requested is living and capable of doing what is asked of him. This is not considered a form of worship. This is the type that Allah refers to when saying:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى

And help one another in righteousness and piety. [Sūrah al-Māidah, 5:2]

If it is further asked, “Is seeking help from the creation permissible at all times and in all situations?

The answer is no. Requesting help from the creation is only allowed when the one being asked is fully capable of what he is being asked for, otherwise seeking his help is not permissible. An example would be asking help from someone dead in his grave; this is prohibited, rather it is major Shirk (the associating of partners with Allah in worship)! This is because the person in his grave does not even have the ability to help himself, so how could he help someone else? Similarly, if someone seeks the help of another person who is not present with him such as a person believing that someone else in the far eastern part of the world could help him with something in his (the one seeking help) land – this is also major Shirk because the person whose help is sought is not capable of helping the seeker while they are in different lands.

If it is now asked, “So, is it permissible to seek help from the creation if these conditions are met?

The answer is that it is better not to ask anyone for any help unless it is absolutely necessary or if it is known that the person would be happy to provide help. In this case, one could request his assistance in order to please him. The act that you seek another’s help in fulfilling must also not be something sinful and prohibited.

Posted from the article : Explaining Surah al-Fatihah – Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah | Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison rahimahullaah

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Tafseer Surah Al-Infitaar (The Cleaving) – Dr. Saleh As-Saleh [Audio|En]

[Mp3 Download Link]

Posted from: Explanation Surah 78-114 – Tafseer Juz Amma – Dr. Saleh as Saleh [Audio|En]

إِذَا السَّمَاءُ انفَطَرَتْ

When the heaven is cleft asunder

وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَتْ

And when the stars have fallen and scattered;

وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ

And when the seas are burst forth (got dried up);

وَإِذَا الْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ

And when the graves are turned upside down (and they bring out their contents)

عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَّرَتْ

(Then) a person will know what he has sent forward and (what he has) left behind (of good or bad deeds).

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ

O man! What has made you careless concerning your Lord, the Most Generous?

الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ

Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion;

فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَّا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ

In whatever form He willed, He put you together.

كَلَّا بَلْ تُكَذِّبُونَ بِالدِّينِ

Nay! But you deny the Recompense (reward for good deeds and punishment for evil deeds).

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ

But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you.

كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ

Kiraman (honourable) Katibin writing down (your deeds).

يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

They know all that you do.

إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ

Verily, the Abrar (pious and righteous) will be in delight (Paradise);

وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ

And verily, the Fujjar (the wicked, disbelievers, sinners and evil-doers) will be in the blazing Fire (Hell),

يَصْلَوْنَهَا يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

In which they will enter, and taste its burning flame on the Day of Recompense,

وَمَا هُمْ عَنْهَا بِغَائِبِينَ

And they (Al-Fujjar) will not be absent therefrom (i.e. will not go out from the Hell).

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ

And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?

ثُمَّ مَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ

Again, what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?

يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شَيْئًا ۖ وَالْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ

(It will be) the Day when no person shall have power (to do) anything for another, and the Decision, that Day, will be (wholly) with Allah.

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Tafseer of Surah Al-Qari`ah – Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen | Dr. Saleh As-Saleh [Audio|En]

Al-Qaria

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

[101:1] Al-Qâri’ah (the striking Hour, i.e. the Day of Resurrection).
[101:2] What is the striking (Hour)?
[101:3] And what will make you know what the striking (Hour) is?
[101:4] It is a Day whereon mankind will be like moths scattered about.
[101:5] And the mountains will be like carded wool.
[101:6] Then as for him whose Balance (of good deeds) will be heavy,
[101:7] He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise).
[101:8] But as for him whose Balance (of good deeds) will be light,
[101:9] He will have his home in Hâwiyah (pit, i.e. Hell).
[101:10] And what will make you know what it is?
[101:11] (It is) a fiercely blazing Fire!


Dr. Saleh As-Saleh’s explanation Based on Shaykh Uthaymeen’s Tafseer

[Souncloud Audio Link

Visit  Explanation Surah 78-114 – Tafseer Juz Amma – Shaykh Uthaymeen | Dr. Saleh as Saleh [Audio Series |En]


The below Explanation was taken from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Darusssalam English Publication

Al-Qari`ah is one of the names of the Day of Judgement, like Al-Haqqah, At-Tammah, As-Sakhkhah, Al-Ghashiyah and other names.

Then Allah intensifies concern and fright for it by saying,

(And what will make you know what Al-Qari`ah is) Then He explains this by saying,

(It is a Day whereon mankind will be like moths scattered about.) meaning, in their scattering, their dividing, their coming and their going, all due to being bewildered at what is happening to them, they will be like scattered moths. This is like Allah’s statement,

(As if they were locusts spread abroad.) (54:7) Allah said,

(And the mountains will be like wool, carded.) meaning, they will become like carded wool that has began to wear out (fade away) and be torn apart.

Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ata’ Al-Khurasani, Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi have all said, (like wool (`Ihn). ) “Woolen.”

Then Allah informs about the results received by those who performed the deeds, and the honor and disgrace they will experience based upon their deeds. He says,

(Then as for him whose Balance will be heavy.) meaning, his good deeds are more than his bad deeds.

(He will live a pleasant life.) meaning, in Paradise.

(But as for him whose Balance will be light.) meaning, his bad deeds are more than his good deeds. Then Allah says,

(His mother will be Hawiyah.) It has been said that this means he will be falling and tumbling headfirst into the fire of Hell, and the expression `his mother’ has been used to refer to his brain (as it is the mother of his head). A statement similar to this has been reported from Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Abu Salih and Qatadah. Qatadah said, “He will fall into the Hellfire on his head.” Abu Salih made a similar statement when he said, “They will fall into the Fire on their heads.” It has also been said that it means his mother that he will return to and end up with in the Hereafter will be Hawiyah, which is one of the names of the Hellfire. Ibn Jarir said, “Al-Hawiyah is only called his mother because he will have no other abode except for it.” Ibn Zayd said, “Al-Hawiyah is the Fire, and it will be his mother and his abode to which he will return, and where he will be settled.” Then he recited the Ayah,

(Their abode will be the Fire.) (3:151) Ibn Abi Hatim said that it has been narrated from Qatadah that he said, “It is the Fire, and it is their abode.” Thus, Allah says in explaining the meaning of Al-Hawiyah,

(And what will make you know what it is). Allah’s statement

(A fire Hamiyah!) meaning, extreme heat. It is a heat that is accompanied by a strong flame and fire. It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

(The fire of the Children of Adam that you all kindle is one part of the seventy parts of the fire of Hell.) They (the Companions) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Isn’t it sufficient” He replied,

(It is more than it by sixty-nine times.) This has been recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. In some of the wordings he stated,

(It is more than it by sixty-nine times, each of them is like the heat of it.) It has been narrated in a Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said,

(Verily, the person who will receive the lightest torment of the people of the Hellfire will be a man who will have two sandals that will cause his brain to boil. )”

It has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said,

(The Hellfire complained to its Lord and said, “O Lord! Some parts of me devour other parts of me.” So He (Allah) permitted it to take two breaths: one breath in the winter and one breath in the summer. Thus, the most severe cold that you experience in the winter is from its cold, and the most severe heat that you experience in the summer is from its heat. )

In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that he said,

(When the heat becomes intense pray the prayer when it cools down, for indeed the intense heat is from the breath of Hell.)

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Qari`ah, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

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“We made the House (the Ka’bah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety” – Shaykh Uthaymeen | Dr. Saleh As-Saleh [Audio|En]

Bismillaah

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Explanation Based on Shaykh Uthaymeen’s Tafseer

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) [or the stone on which Ibrahim (Abraham) stood while he was building the Ka’bah] as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers, e.g. two Rak’at after the Tawaf of the Ka’bah at Makkah), and We commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isma’il (Ishmael) that they should purify My House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I’tikaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer).

[Qur’aan – Surah al-Baqarah 2:125]

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The following has been posted from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (Darussalam English Publications):

The Virtue of Allah’s House

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

125. And (remember) when We made the House (the Kabah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (or the stone on which Ibrahim as a place)

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas commented on Allah’s statement,

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ
(And (remember) when We made the House (the Kabah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind)

“They do not remain in the House, they only visit it and return to their homes, and then visit it again.”

Also, Abu Jafar Ar-Razi narrated from Ar-Rabi bin Anas from Abu Al-Aliyah who said that,

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً
(And (remember) when We made the House (the Kabah at Makkah) a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety) means,

“Safe from enemies and armed conflict. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people were often victims of raids and kidnapping, while the people in the area surrounding it (Al-Masjid Al-Haram) were safe and not subject to kidnapping.”

Also, Mujahid, Ata’, As-Suddi, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi bin Anas were reported to have said that the Ayah (2:125) means,

“Whoever enters it shall be safe.”

This Ayah indicates that Allah honored the Sacred House, which Allah made as a safe refuge and safe haven. Therefore, the souls are eager, but never bored, to conduct short visits to the House, even every year. This is because Allah accepted the supplication of His Khalil, Ibrahim, when he asked Allah to make the hearts of people eager to visit the House. Ibrahim said (14:40),

رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
(Our Lord! And accept my invocation).

Allah described the House as a safe resort and refuge, for those who visit it are safe, even if they had committed acts of evil. This honor comes from the honor of the person who built it first, Khalil Ar-Rahman, just as Allah said,

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لإِبْرَهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لاَّ تُشْرِكْ بِى شَيْئاً

(And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim the site of the (Sacred) House (the Kabah at Makkah) (saying): “Associate not anything (in worship) with Me…”) (22:26) and,

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكاً وَهُدًى لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ فِيهِ ءَايَـتٌ بَيِّـنَـتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ ءَامِناً

(Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-Alamin (mankind and Jinn). In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim; whosoever enters it, he attains security) (3:96-97).

The last honorable Ayah emphasized the honor of Ibrahim’s Maqam, and the instruction to pray next to it,

وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer). The Maqam of Ibrahim Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported that Said bin Jubayr commented on the Ayah,

وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer) “The stone (Maqam) is the standing place of Ibrahim, Allah’s Prophet, and a mercy from Allah. Ibrahim stood on the stone, while Ismail was handing him the stones (constructing the Kabah).”

As-Suddi said, “The Maqam of Ibrahim is a stone which Ismail’s wife put under Ibrahim’s feet when washing his head.”

Al-Qurtubi mentioned this, but he considered it unauthentic, although others gave it prefrence, Ar-Razi reported it in his Tafsir from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, and Ar-Rabi bin Anas.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Jabir, describing the Hajj (pilgrimage) of the Prophet said, “When the Prophet performed Tawaf, Umar asked him, Is this the Maqam of our father’ He said, Yes.’ Umar said, Should we take it a place of prayer’ So Allah revealed,

وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer.”)

Al-Bukhari said, “Chapter: Allah’s statement,

وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer) meaning, they return to it repeatedly.” He then narrated that Anas bin Malik said that Umar bin Al-Khattab said, “I agreed with my Lord, or my Lord agreed with me, regarding three matters. I said, O Messenger of Allah! I wish you take the Maqam of Ibrahim a place for prayer.’ The Ayah,

وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

(And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham)) was revealed. I also said, O Messenger of Allah! The righteous and the wicked enter your house. I wish you would command the Mothers of the believers (the Prophet’s wives) to wear Hijab. Allah sent down the Ayah that required the Hijab. And when I knew that the Prophet was angry with some of his wives, I came to them and said, Either you stop what you are doing, or Allah will endow His Messenger with better women than you are.’ I advised one of his wives and she said to me, O Umar! Does the Messenger of Allah not know how to advise his wives, so that you have to do the job instead of him’ Allah then revealed,

عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَجاً خَيْراً مِّنكُنَّ مُسْلِمَـتٍ

(It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you, ـ Muslims (who submit to Allah)).” (66:5)

Also, Ibn Jarir narrated that Jabir said, “After the Messenger of Allah kissed the Black Stone, he went around the house three times in a fast pace and four times in a slow pace. He then went to Maqam of Ibrahim, with it between him and the House, and prayed two Rakahs.” This is part of the long Hadith that Muslim recorded in Sahih. Al-Bukhari recorded that Amr bin Dinar said that he heard Ibn Umar say, “The Messenger of Allah performed Tawaf around the House seven times and then prayed two Rakahs behind the Maqam.”

All these texts indicate that the Maqam is the stone that Ibrahim was standing on while building the House. As the House’s walls became higher, Ismail brought his father a stone, so that he could stand on it, while Ismail handed him the stones. Ibrahim would place the stones on the wall, and whenever he finished one side, he would move to the next side, to complete the building all around. Ibrahim kept repeating this until he finished building the House, as we will describe when we explain the story of Ibrahim and Ismail and how they built the House, as narrated from Ibn Abbas and collected by Al-Bukhari. Ibrahim’s footprints were still visible in the stone, and the Arabs knew this fact during the time of Jahiliyyah. This is why Abu Talib said in his poem known as Al-Lamiyyah’, “And Ibrahim’s footprint with his bare feet on the stone is still visible.”

The Muslims also saw Ibrahim’s footprints on the stone, as Anas bin Malik said, “I saw the Maqam with the print of Ibrahim’s toes and feet still visible in it, but the footprints dissipated because of the people rubbing the stone with their hands.”

Earlier, the Maqam was placed close to the Kabah’s wall. In the present time, the Maqam is placed next to Al-Hijr on the right side of those entering through the door.

When Ibrahim finished building the House, he placed the stone next to the wall of Al-Kabah. Or, when the House was finished being built, Ibrahim just left the stone where it was last standing, and he was commanded to pray next to the stone when he finished the Tawaf (circumambulating). It is understandable that the Maqam of Ibrahim would stand where the building of the House ended. The Leader of the faithful Umar bin Al-Khattab, one of the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs whom we were commanded to emulate, moved the stone away from the Kabah’s wall during his reign. Umar is one of the two men, whom the Messenger of Allah described when he said,

«اقْتَدُوا بِاللَّذَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْدِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَر»

(Imitate the two men who will come after me: Abu Bakr and Umar.)

Umar was also the person whom the Qur’an agreed with regarding praying next to Maqam of Ibrahim. This is why none among the Companions rejected it when he moved it.

Abdur-Razzaq reported from Ibn Jurayj from Ata’, “Umar bin Al-Khattab moved the Maqam back.” Also, Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Mujahid said that Umar was the first person who moved the Maqam back to where it is now standing.” Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr, Ahmad bin Ali bin Al-Husayn Al-Bayhaqi recorded A’ishah saying, “During the time of the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr, the Maqam was right next to the House. Umar moved the Maqam during his reign.” This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration.

“Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you & those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun” – Shaykh Uthaymeen | Dr. Saleh As-Saleh [Audio|En]

Bismillaah

Excellent Benefits from the Tafseer of the Verse 21 from Sooratul Baqarah

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqun.

[Surah al-Baqarah 2:21]

[Souncloud Audio Link

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Related Links:

“O you who Believe! Seek help in Patience and As-Salāt (The Prayer)” – Shaykh Uthaymeen | Dr. Saleh As-Saleh [Audio|En]

Bismillaah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salāt (the prayer).
Truly! Allah is with As-Sābirīn (the patient ones, etc.).
[Surah al-Baqarah 2:153]

[Souncloud Audio Link

Posted fromTafseer – Explanation Surah Al-Baqarah – Dr Saleh as Saleh [Audio Series|En]. Explanation Based on Shaykh Uthaymeen’s Tafseer


The following has been posted from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (Darussalam English Publications):

After Allah commanded that He be appreciated, He ordained patience and prayer. It is a fact that the servant is either enjoying a bounty that he should be thankful for, or suffering a calamity that he should meet with patience. A Hadith states:

(Amazing is the believer, for whatever Allah decrees for him, it is better for him! If he is tested with a bounty, he is grateful for it and this is better for him; and if he is afflicted with a hardship, he is patient with it and this is better for him.)

Allah has stated that the best tools to help ease the effects of the afflictions are patience and prayer. Earlier we mentioned Allah’s statement:

وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ

And seek help in patience and As-Salah (the prayer) and truly, it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashiin (i.e., the true believers in Allah) (2:45)

There are several types of Sabr ـ patience: one for avoiding the prohibitions and sins, one for acts of worship and obedience. The second type carries more rewards than the first type. There is a third type of patience required in the face of the afflictions and hardships, which is mandatory, like repentance.

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,

“Sabr has two parts: patience for the sake of Allah concerning what He is pleased with (i.e., acts of worship and obedience), even if it is hard on the heart and the body, and patience when avoiding what He dislikes, even if it is desired. Those who acquire these qualities will be among the patient persons whom Allah shall greet (when they meet Him in the Hereafter; refer to Surat Al-Ahzab 33:44), Allah willing.”

“My Lord, Make this City (Makkah) a Place of Security” – Shaykh Uthaymeen | Dr. Saleh as-Saleh [Audio|En]

Bismillaah

[Souncloud Audio Link

Explanation Based on Shaykh Uthaymeen’s Tafseer

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ 

Muhsin Khan’s Translation:

And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.” He (Allah) answered: “As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!”

[Qur’aan – Surah al-Baqarah 2:126]

Posted fromTafseer – Explanation Surah Al-Baqarah – Dr Saleh as Saleh [Audio Series|En]. Explanation Based on Shaykh Uthaymeen’s Tafseer

Excerpts from “Muqaddimah fee Usoolit-Tafseer” of Ibn Taymiyyah – Dawud Burbank

Introduction to Tafseer – Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah)
Taken from Tafseer Soorat-in-Naba’
Compiled and translated by Abu Talhah (rahimahullaah)

INTRODUCTION

All praise is for Allaah. We praise Him, we seek His aid, and we ask for His forgiveness. We seek Allaah’s refuge from the evils of our selves and from the evil consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allaah guides then none can misguide him, and whomever He misguides then none can guide him. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone, having no partner; and I testify that Muhammad is his Slave and His Messenger.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

[Meaning: O you who believe in Allaah and His Messenger! Fear and be dutiful to Allaah, by obeying Him and avoiding disobedience to Him, as He deserves to be feared (Obey Him and do not disobey Him; give thanks to Him and do not show ingratitude; remember Him and do not forget Him); and do not die except as Muslims: obediently submitting to Him, and worshipping Him alone.] [Soorah Aali `Imraan (3): 102]

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا

[[Meaning: O Mankind! Fear and be dutiful to your Lord, Who alone created you from a single person (Aadam), and from him He created his mate, and from these two He produced many men and women; and fear and be dutiful to Allaah through Whom you ask each other for your rights, and beware of cutting ties of kinship. Allaah is ever a Watcher over you.]] [Sooratun-Nisaa· (4): 1]

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا – يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

[[Meaning: O you who believe in Allaah and His Messenger! Fear and be dutiful to Allaah and speak with truth and justice, and He will rectify your deeds for you and forgive your sins; and whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger has attained tremendous success.]] [Sooratul-Ahzaab (33): 70-71]

To proceed: Then the truest speech is the Book of Allaah -the Most High, and the best way is the way of Muhammad (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم); and the worst of affairs are those things which are new introductions (into the Religion) and every new introduction is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance will be in the Fire.

“The Ummah (the Islamic nation) has a great and pressing need to understand the Qur·aan, which is the strong Rope of Allaah, and the wise Reminder; one who follows it will not be led astray by desires, and it will not become confused upon the tongues. It does not become dull through repetition, its wonders never cease, and the scholars can never have enough of it. Whoever speaks in accordance with it will speak the truth, whoever acts in accordance with it will be rewarded; whoever judges by it has judged justly, and whoever calls to it then he invites to the straight path. Whichever tyrant abandons it then Allaah will break him, and whoever seeks guidance in other than it then Allaah will misguide him.

He -the Most High- said:

فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشْقَىٰ – وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ – قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا – قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ

[[Meaning: Then if guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall not go astray and he shall not be wretched; but whoever turns away from My Reminder then he shall have a bleak and constricted life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him up blind. He will say: ‘O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind when I used to have sight in the world?’ He will say: ‘Thus it is: Our signs came to you and you turned away from and abandoned them, and so this Day you shall be abandoned.]] [Soorah TaaHaa (20): 123-126]

And He -the Most High- said:

 قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ –  يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

[[Meaning: There has come to you Our Messenger Muhammad (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم), explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture, and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allaah a light and a clear Book. By it Allaah guides those who seek His Pleasure to the path which leads to safety and salvation; and He brings them out of darkness into the light, by His Permission, and He guides to the Straight Path.]] [Sooratul-Maa·idah (5): 15-16]

And He -the Most High- said:

الر ۚ كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ – اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ

[[Meaning: Alif Laam Raa. This is a book which We have sent down to you, in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness into light, by the permission of their Lord, to the path of the All-Mighty, the One worthy of all praise: Allaah, to Whom belongs everything that is in the heavens and in the earth.]] [Soorah Ibraaheem (14): 1-2]

And He -the Most High- said:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ – صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الْأُمُورُ

[[Meaning: And likewise We have revealed this Qur·aan to you, as a mercy, by Our Command. You did not know what the Book is, nor what is Faith. But We have made it a light by which We guide whomever We wish from Our servants. And you certainly guide Our servants towards the Straight Path: the Path of Allaah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Certainly all affairs shall return to Allaah for judgement.]] [Sooratush-Shooraa (42): 52-53]

… It is binding that a person should know that the Prophet (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) explained the meaning of the Qur·aan to his Companions, just as he made clear to them its Words.

So His Saying -He the Most High:

 وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ 

[Sooratun-Nahl (16): 44]

[[Meaning: And We sent down this Qur·aan to you, O Muhammad (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم), as a reminder to them, so that you should then explain clearly to the people what has been sent down to them][1] includes both this and that [i.e. the Words and the meaning.]]

And Aboo `Abdir-Rahmaan as-Sulamee said:

‘Those who taught us the recitation of the Qur·aan, such as `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ood, and others, when they had learned ten Aayahs from the Prophet (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم), would not go beyond them until they had learned what they contained from knowledge and action. They said: So we learned the Qur·aan, and knowledge, and action, together.’[2]

Therefore they used to remain for a period of time learning a Soorah, and Anas said: “When a man had learned [Soorah] al-Baqarah and [Soorah] Aali `Imraan he attained stature in our eyes” [3], and Ibn `Umar took some years to learn al-Baqarah, it is said that it was eight years; Maalik mentioned it. [4]

And that was because Allaah -the Most High- has said:

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ 

[[Meaning: This Qur·aan is a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, so that they may reflect upon its Aayahs.]] { [Soorah Saad (38): 29]

And He said:

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ ۚ

[[Meaning: Will they not carefully reflect upon the Qur·aan?]]
[Sooratun-Nisaa· (4): 82]

And He said:

أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ

[[Meaning: Have they not reflected upon the Qur·aan?]]
[Sooratul-Mu·minoon (23): 68]

And carefully reflecting upon speech is not possible without understanding its meaning.

Likewise He -the Most High- said:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

[Soorah Yoosuf (12): 2]

[[Meaning: We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur·aan, in order that you may comprehend its meaning]], and comprehending speech includes understanding it.

It is also known that what is intended from all speech is that its meaning be understood, not just its wording, so the Qur·aan has more right to that; and also the normal behaviour of the people prevents them from reading a book in any field of knowledge, be it medicine or mathematics, and then not seeking necessary explanation of it. So how about the Speech of Allaah, which is their essential safeguard, and through which they are to attain salvation and bliss, and by means of which their Religion and their worldly lives are correctly established?!

This is why disagreement amongst the Companions with regard to the tafseer of the Qur·aan was extremely rare; and even though it occurred more amongst the Taabi`een (the Successors of the Companions) than it did amongst the Companions, then still it was little in comparison to what occurred with those who came after them. So the more excellent a time was, then the greater the unity, the harmony, the knowledge, and the clarity of understanding was in it.

So from the Taabi`een there were those who learned the whole tafseer from the Companions, just as Mujaahid said: “I went through the whole mus-haf with Ibn `Abbaas, stopping him at every Aayah and asking him about it.” [5]

Therefore ath-Thawree said: “If tafseer comes to you from Mujaahid, then it will suffice you.” [6]

Therefore his tafseer was relied upon by ash-Shaafi`ee, al-Bukhaaree, and others from the people of knowledge; and likewise Imaam Ahmad, and others who wrote works of tafseer, would repeatedly quote chains of narration from Mujaahid, more so than from others besides him. So what is intended is that the Taabi`een took the tafseer from the Companions, just as they took knowledge of the Sunnah from them….

As for Tafseer, then the people who were most knowledgeable about it were the people of Makkah, since they were the students of Ibn `Abbaas, such as: Mujaahid, `Ataa· ibn Abee Rabaah, `Ikrimah-the freed slave of Ibn `Abbaas, and others from the students of Ibn `Abbaas, such as: Taawoos, AbushSha`thaa·, Sa`eed ibn Jubayr, and their like.

Likewise the people of al-Koofah, from the students of Ibn Mas`ood, and they had distinction in some of that over others; and the scholars of tafseer from the people of al-Madeenah, such as Zayd ibn Aslam – whom Maalik took tafseer from, and likewise his [i.e. Zayd’s] son `Abdur-Rahmaan took it from him (also), and `Abdullaah ibn Wahb took it from `AbdurRahmaan…

And in summary, whoever turns away from the positions of the Companions and the Taabi`een, and their tafseer, in favour of something contrary to that, then he is in error in doing that, indeed he is an innovator; unless if he is performing legitimate ijtihaad, in which case his error is forgiven…

So if someone were to say: ‘What is the best approach with regard to Tafseer?’ Then the answer is that the most correct approach is to explain the Qur·aan with the Qur·aan. So what has been left unspecified at one place will be explained at another place, and what is mentioned briefly at one point will be detailed elsewhere…

And if you become unable to do that, then take hold of the Sunnah, for the Sunnah explains and clarifies the Qur·aan…, and when we do not find the tafseer in the Qur·aan, nor in the Sunnah, then we refer back for that to the sayings of the Companions, for they knew best about it because of what they actually witnessed relating to the Qur·aan, and because of the circumstances particular to them, and because of their complete understanding, their correct knowledge, and their righteous deeds… And if you do not find the tafseer in the Qur·aan, nor in the Sunnah, nor do you find it from the Companions, then many of the imaams refer back in that case to the statements of the Taabi`een, such as Mujaahid ibn Jabr… and such as Sa`eed ibn Jubayr, `Ikrimah-the freed slave of Ibn `Abbaas, `Ataa· ibn Abee Rabaah, al-Hasan al-Basree, Masrooq ibn al-Ajda`, Sa`eed ibn alMusayyib, Abul-`Aaliyah, ar-Rabee` ibn Anas, Qataadah, ad-Dahhaak ibn Muzaahim, and others from the Taabi`een, and those who succeeded them, and those who came after them.

So their sayings are mentioned with regard to an Aayah, and the wordings which they used may differ, and so one who has no knowledge may think that they are disagreements, when this is not actually the case. So some of them may refer to something by mentioning that which it necessitates, or by mentioning that which corresponds to it, and some of them may state the actual thing itself; and all of these actually have the same meaning, and this occurs in many places, so let the discerning person be alert to this; and Allaah is the One Who guides.” [7]

Footnotes:

[1] as-Suyootee quoted in his ‘Miftaahul-Jannah fil-I`tisaam bis-Sunnah’ (p. 58): “Ibn Mas`ood said, as reported by Ibn Abee Haatim:

‘There is nothing except that it has been made clear to us in the Qur·aan, however our understanding falls short of reaching it, so therefore He -the Most High- said:

بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

[[Meaning: So that you, O Muhammad (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم), should then explain clearly to the people what has been sent down to them]].’ { [Sooratun-Nahl (16): 44]

[2] as-Suyootee quoted in his ‘Miftaahul-Jannah fil-I`tisaam bis-Sunnah’ (2/437): “at-Tabaree reported it in his ‘Tafseer’ (1/60), and as-Samarqandee in his ‘Tafseer’ (1/71) and Ibn Sa`d in ‘at-Tabaqaat’ (6/172), and Ibn Abee Shaybah in ‘al-Musannaf’:..6/117, and its chain of narration contains `Ataa· ibn as-Saa·ib:Sadooq (truthful), whose memory deteriorated; however the narrator from him is Hammaad ibn Zayd, as occurs in ‘as-Siyar’ (4/269), and his narrations from him are good…”

[3] Reported by Imaam Ahmad (3/120). Shu`ayb al-Arnawoot said in his checking of the ‘Musnad’ (no. 12236): “Its chain of narration is ‘saheeh’ to the standard of the two Shaikhs.”

[4] Imaam Maalik stated in his ‘Muwatta·’ (1/205) that it had reached him (balaaghan) that `Abdullaah ibn `Umar had remained for eight years learning Sooratul-Baqarah.

[5] Fawwaaz Ahmad Zumarlee said in his checking of as-Suyootee’s ‘al-Itqaan’ (2/473): “It was reported in ‘al-Hilyah’ (3/280)..; and it was reported by at-Tabaree in his ‘Tafseer’(1/65), and Aboo Nu`aym in ‘al-Hilyah’ (3/279-280); and its chain of narration contains Muhammad ibn Ishaaq who narrated it with both of them with `an`anah (without stating that he had heard it directly from the narrator before him); however it has another chain of narration which supports it, since it was also reported by al-Qaasim ibn Sallaam in ‘Fadaa·ilul-Qur·aan’ (p. 216), and by Ahmad in ‘al-Fadaa·il’ (no. 1866), and its chain of narration contains Ibn Abee Najeeh, who reported a great amount from Mujaahid; but he would narrate from him things that he had not heard directly from him. Refer to ‘Tabaqaatul-Mudalliseen’ (p. 9).”

[6] Reported by at-Tabaree in his ‘Tafseer’ (1/65).

Taken from ‘Muqaddimah fee Usoolit-Tafseer’ (pp. 43-47, 71-72, 91, 93-94, 96, 100-101) of Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah; and it occurs in ‘Majmoo`ul-Fataawaa’ (13/329-375).

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Posted fromIntroduction to Tafseer – Ibn Taymiyyah – Taken from Tafseer Soorat-in-Naba’

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Biographies of The Authors of The Books of Tafseer – Dawud Burbank

BismillaahAPPENDIX ONE: BIOGRAPHIES OF THE AUTHORS OF THE BOOKS OF TAFSEER:

AT-TABAREE:

Muhammad ibn Jareer ibn Yazeed, Aboo Ja`far at-Tabaree: “The imaam, the outstanding scholar, the Mujtahid. The scholar of his time: Aboo Ja`far at-Tabaree, the author of excellent works.

He was from the people of Aamul in Tabaristaan (a town 80 miles NE of Tehran in Persia). He was born in the year 224 H, and began seeking knowledge after the year 240 H. He travelled greatly and met the preeminent men. He was singular amongst the people of his time in knowledge, intellect and in the great number of his works. It is rare that anyone the like of him is seen…

Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee said of him: ‘He gathered such branches of knowledge as were not attained by anyone from the people of his time. He had memorised the Book of Allaah; he was knowledgeable of the different modes of recitation; he had insight of the meaning; he was a learned jurist with regard to the rulings contained in the Qur·aan; he was a scholar of the details of the Sunnah and of its chains of narration; the authentic and the unauthentic; he knew the abrogating texts and the abrogated texts; he was knowledgeable of the sayings of the Companions and the Taabi`een; he was well-acquainted with the past events and history of the peoples, and he compiled the famous book: ‘Narratives and history of the nations’; and he compiled his ‘Tafseer’: the like of which has not been written. He also wrote a book entitled ‘Tahdheeb-Aathaar’, and I have not seen a similar work the like of it, but he did not complete it. He also wrote many books about the principles and details of Fiqh, and his preferred sayings from the sayings of the jurists. He had certain verdicts specific to him which were preserved’.” [‘Siyar A`laamin-Nubalaa·’ of adh-Dhahabee: (14/267-)].

Concerning his Tafseer (printed in thirty volumes) Aboo Haamid alIsfaraayeenee said: “If a person were to travel to China to obtain the Tafseer of Muhammad ibn Jareer it would not be too much.”

Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah said: “As for the Tafseers that the people have with them, then the most authentic of them is the Tafseer of Muhammad ibn Jareer at-Tabaree, because he mentions the sayings reported from the Salaf with established chains of narration, and it does not contain innovation, and he does not report from those accused of being liars such as Muqtaatil ibn Bukayr and al-Kalbee.” [‘Majmoo`ul-Fataawaa’:13/385]

Ibn Katheer said, concerning his ‘Tafseer’: “He authored a complete Tafseer which is such that it has no equal,” and concerning him: “He had high standing in worship, zuhd (abstaining from the unnecessary things of this world), piety, and establishing the truth: not being prevented from that by the blame of anyone. He had a fine voice in recitation, along with complete knowledge of the modes of recitation – upon the finest characteristics. He was one of the major righteous people, and one of the scholars of hadeeth who gathered in Egypt in the time of Ibn Tooloon; and they were: Muhammad ibn Ishaaq ibn Khuzaymah – the imaam of the imaams, Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazee, Muhammad ibn Haaroon arRuwayaanee, and this one: Muhammad ibn Jareer at-Tabaree…” [‘al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah’ (11/156-)].

Al-Firghaanee said: “Muhammad ibn Jareer was of those who did not care about the blame of anyone for Allaah’s sake, along with the very great harm he suffered and the slanders he received from the ignorant, envious and apostates; but as for the people of knowledge and Religion, then they do not deny his knowledge, his abstinence with regard to this world and how he renounced it. He sufficed himself with a small inheritance left for him by his father in Tabaristaan.” And al-Firghaanee said: “I heard him say: “My father’s inheritance has been delayed, so I had to remove the sleeves of my robe and sell them.” [‘Tabaqaatush-Shaafi`iyyah’: (3/120), quoted in Dr. `Abdullaah at-Turkee’s introduction to ‘Jaami`ul-Bayaan’.]

It was mentioned about him that everyday for forty years he would fill forty pages with his writing; and that he originally proposed dictating his ‘history’ of a length of thirty thousand pages, and his Tafseer of similar length, but was dissuaded by his students and so reduced each of them to a tenth of the intended size, saying: “Indeed we belong to Allaah! Peoples’ eagerness has died!”

as-Suyootee said in ‘al-Itqaan’ (2/476): “So if you were to say: ‘Which of the tafseers do you direct us towards, and tell a person to rely upon?’ Then I say: The tafseer of Aboo Ja`far ibn Jareer at-Tabaree, about which the reputable scholars have agreed that its like has not been written in the field of tafseer. an-Nawawee said in his ‘Tahdheeb’: ‘No one has written the like of the book of Ibn Jareer in tafseer’.”

He passed away at the time of Maghrib on the night of the 28th of Shawwal in the year 310 H, at the age of 86 -rahimahullaah.


AS-SAM`AANEE:

“The imaam, the outstanding scholar, the Muftee of Khuraasaan, Shaikh of the Shaafi`ees; Abul-Muzaffar Mansoor ibn Muhammad ibn `Abdil-Jabbaar ibn Ahmad, at-Tameemee, as-Sam`aanee, al-Marwazee, previously alHanafee, then ash-Shaafi`ee. He was born in the year 426 H…

He went out on foot to perform Hajj at a time when riding parties were prevented from travelling, so he and a group of people were captured by brigands. So he bore this with patience until Allaah freed him from these bedouins, and he performed Hajj and accompanied az-Zanjaanee.

He used to relate: < They took us captive, so I used to tend their camels. So it happened that their chief wanted to marry off his daughter, so they said: we will have to travel to a town to find someone to perform the marriage for us. So one of their men said: ‘The man who tends our camels is the jurist of Khuraasaan.’ So they asked me about some matters, and I answered them, and I spoke to them in correct Arabic, so they became embarrassed and excused themselves. So I performed the marriage for them, and said the (marriage) address, so they were happy and asked me to accept some reward from that, but I refused. So they conveyed me to Makkah in the middle of the year. >

`Abdul-Ghaafir said in his ‘Taareekh’: “He was the singular scholar of his age in excellence and behaviour, and in zuhd and piety. He came from a household of knowledge and zuhd. He acquired knowledge of Fiqh from his father, and he became one of the foremost amongst the people of speculation. He then studied the books of hadeeth, performed Hajj and returned, and abandoned the way upon which he had debated for thirty years and became a Shaafi`ee. He manifested this in the year 468 H and the people of Marw were thrown into turmoil and the common folk became perplexed. So letters were sent concerning him by the Ameer of Balkh which spoke harshly against him. So he left Marw in the company of DhulMajdayn Abul-Qaasim al-Moosawee and a group of students, and he was attended to by a number of the jurists. So he went to Toos, and proceeded on to Naysaaboor. So he was met by the students with a great reception in the time of Nizaamul-Mulk, and `Ameedul-Hadrah Aboo Sa`d. So they honoured him and gave him a position of great respect, and a gathering for admonition was established for him in the Shaafi`ee school; and he was an ocean with regard to admonition and he was a great memorizer, so he was greatly accepted by the people. He attained firmness and prominence in the Shaafi`ee madhhab and then he returned to Marw and taught there in the Shaafi`ee school, and an-Nizaam gave him precedence over his peers, and his students became apparent. Then he went off to Asbahaan in a state of high standing.

He wrote the book ‘al-Istilaam,’ and the book ‘al-Burhaan,’ and ‘alAmaalee’ in Hadeeth, and he stood firmly with the people of the Hadeeth, the Sunnah and the Jamaa`ah; and he was a thorn in the eyes of the opponents, and a proof for the people of the Sunnah.

[His grandson] Aboo Sa`d said: ‘My grandfather wrote a work of Tafseer, and in Fiqh, Usool and Hadeeth. His Tafseer is of three volumes’ … The Imaam Aboo `Alee ibn as-Saffaar said: ‘When I debate with AbulMuzaffar then it is as if I am debating with an imaam from the Taabi`een, because of the signs of the righteous people which I see in him.’ He also said about himself: “I never forgot anything which I had memorized.”

… He died in the year 489 H, having lived for sixty-three years – rahimahullaah.” [‘Siyar A`laamin-Nubalaa·’ (19/114-119)] Ibn al-`Imaad said about him in ‘Shadharaatudh-Dhahab’ (3/393): “The imaam, the eminent scholar, Abul-Muzaffar as-Sam`aanee Mansoor ibn Muhammad, at-Tameemee, al-Marwazee, al-Hanafee, then ash-Shaafi`ee. He learned Fiqh from this father and from others, and he was the imaam of his age in the madhhab of Aboo Haneefah. But when he performed Hajj, that which necessitated his moving to the madhhab of ash-Shaafi`ee became clear to him in al-Hijaaz. So when he returned to Marw he suffered great harm because of his changing over. He wrote many books regarding the Shaafi`ee madhhab and he wrote in refutation of the opponents, and he wrote ‘at-Tabaqaat’ which he excelled in, and he wrote a good and fine Tafseer…” -rahimahullaah.


AL-BAGHAWEE:

“Shaikhul-Islaam, the outstanding exemplary scholar, the Haafiz: ShaikhulIslaam, the reviver of the Sunnah, Aboo Muhammad al-Husayn ibn Mas`ood ibn Muhammad ibn al-Farraa·, al-Baghawee, ash-Shaafi`ee: the scholar of Tafseer; the compiler of works such as ‘Sharhus-Sunnah,’ ‘Ma`aalimut-Tanzeel,’ ‘al-Masaabeeh’ and the book ‘at-Tahdheeb’ upon the madhhab, and ‘al-Jam`u baynas-Saheehayn,’ and ‘al-Arba`eena hadeethan’ and other works.

He acquired knowledge of Fiqh from the Shaikh of the Shaafi`ees al-Qaadee Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Marwaroodhee, the author of ‘at-Ta`leeqah,’ before the year 460 H….

Al-Baghawee was given the title ‘Muhiyyus-Sunnah’ (the reviver of the Sunnah), and the ‘the pillar of the Religion’, and he was a person of nobility and an Imaam. He was a person of knowledge and outstanding scholar. He abstained from the superfluous things of this world and was satisfied with a little. He used to eat dry bread on its own, but was criticised by people for that, so he began accompanying it with oil. His father used to make and sell fur garments (al-Farraa·). He was granted blessing in his writings, and granted complete acceptance with regard to them: this was on account of his fine resolve, and true and sincere intention. The scholars vied in acquiring his works, and he would not deliver a lesson except in a state of purification. He was moderate in his dress: he wore a crude robe, and a small turban – upon the way of the Salaf- which he wore and tied as they did. He was firmly established in Tafseer, and fully proficient in Fiqh -may Allaah have mercy upon him…” [‘Siyar A`laamin-Nubalaa·’ of adh-Dhahabee: (19/439-)]

He was born in the town of Bagh (30 miles NW of Herat in Afghanistan) in Khuraasaan, and travelled throughout Khuraasaan seeking knowledge, finally settling in Marw ar-Roodh (SE Turkmenistan) where he taught and compiled his works, and died in the year of 516 H at over eighty years of age.

Ibn Katheer said: “…He excelled in the branches of knowledge, and he was the foremost scholar of his time in them. He adhered to the Religion, was pious, a ‘zaahid,’ and a righteous worshipper.” -rahimahullaah. [‘al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (12/206).’]


IBN KATHEER:

“He is Abul-Fidaa·, `Imaadud-Deen, Ismaa`eel ibn (ash-Shaikh Abee Hafs Shihaabud-Deen) `Umar – who was the ‘khateeb of his village – ibn Katheer ibn Daw· ibn Katheer ibn Zar’ al-Qurashee, al-Basrawee in origin, adDimashqee with regard to his upbringing, nurturing and education. He was born in the town of Mijdal, in the district of the town of Busraa, to the [north-] east of Damascus, in the year of 701 H, and his father was a khateeb. His father died when he was four years old, so he was brought up by his brother, the Shaikh `Abdul-Wahhaab, and he learned Fiqh from him at the beginning of his affair.

Then he moved to Damascus in the year 706 H, at the age of five. He then acquired knowledge of Fiqh from Shaikh Burhaanuddeen Ibraaheem ibn

`Abdur-Rahmaan al-Fazaaree, well known as Ibn al-Firkaah – who died in the year 729 H.

He also heard in Damascus from `Eesaa ibn al-Muta“im, and from Ahmad ibn Abee Taalib – who lived more than a hundred years and who was well known as Ibnush-Shihnah, and also known as al-Hajjaar -who died in year 730 H. Also from al-Qaasim ibn `Asaakir, and Ibnush-Sheeraazee, Ishaaq ibn al-Aamidee, and Muhammad ibn Zarraad. He closely accompanied the Shaikh Jamaaluddeen Yoosuf ibn az-Zakiyy al-Mizzee – the author of ‘Tahdheebul-Kamaal’ and ‘Atraaful-Kutubis-Sittah’ who died in the year 742 H; and he greatly benefited from him and became proficient in knowledge, and he married his daughter.

He also studied a great deal with Shaikhul-Islaam Taqiyyuddeen Ibn Taimiyyah, who died in the year 728 H. He closely accompanied him, loved him and benefited from his knowledge. He also studied with the Shaikh, the Haafiz, the historian Shamsuddeen adh-Dhahabee Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Qaaymaaz, who died in the year 748 H.

He was granted ‘ijaazah’ (permission to narrate) in Egypt by Aboo Moosaa al-Qaraafee, and al-Husaynee, and `Alee ibn `Umar al-Waanee, Yoosuf alHutanee and others. Al-Haafiz Shamsuddeen adh-Dhahabee said of him in ‘al-Mu`jamulMukhtass’: “The imaam, the muftee, the outstanding muhaddith, the precise jurist, the critical and precise scholar of tafseer. He has a number of beneficial works.”

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajr said of him in ‘ad-Durarul-Kaaminah’: “He became occupied with hadeeth, carefully studying its texts and narrators. He could quote a great deal from memory and was delightful in speech. His works spread widely in his lifetime, and people benefited from them after his death. He was not upon the way of those muhadditheen who merely seek briefer chains of narration, and seek to distinguish shorter from longer chains of narration and other such disciplines of theirs; rather he was from the jurists of the muhadditheen.’…”

“His works included:

(1) ‘Tafseerul-Qur·aanil-Kareem,’ and it was one of the most beneficial books of tafseer based upon narrations. He would explain the Qur·aan with the Qur·aan, and then with the famous ahaadeeth from the dependable sources of the muhadditheen – along with their chains of narration. He discussed the chains of narration with the terms of rejection and acceptance, and made clear anything the narrations contained with regard to strangeness, being contrary to what is authentic, or confliction with the reliable reports. Then he would mention the reported sayings from the Companions and the Taabi`een.

As-Suyootee said: “The like of it, similar in form, has not been written.”

(2) His history entitled ‘al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah,’ in which he mentioned the stories of the Prophets and the previous nations, based upon what occurs in the Noble Qur·aan and the authentic narrations…then he carefully detailed the Prophetic Seerah, and the history of Islaam to his time. Then he went on to mention the tribulations, signs of the Last Hour, the forthcoming battles and the conditions in the Hereafter….

He died on Thursday, the 26th of Sha`baan in the year 774 H, at the age of 74; and al-Haafiz Ibn Hajr said: He lost his eyesight at the end of his life – rahimahullaah wa radiyallaahu `anhu.”

[Taken from the introduction to ‘al-Baa`ithul-Hatheeth’; the biography was compiled by Shaikh Muhammad `Abdur-Razzaaq Hamzah.]

Ibn al-`Imaad said in ‘Shadharaatudh-Dhahab’ (6/231/232): “…He had many students; from them was Ibn Hajjee who said about him: ‘He was the greatest memorizer of the texts of hadeeth that we have come across, and the one best acquainted with their defects, and their narrators, and the authentic and the unauthentic from them, and his peers and his Shaikhs acknowledged that for him. I do not think, despite the frequency with which I went to him, that I ever met him except I took benefit from him.’ Others, as Qaadee Shahbah mentioned in his ‘Tabaqaat’ stated that he was a particularly close student of Ibn Taimiyyah, and used to defend him and follow many of his views; and he used to give verdict with his view regarding divorce, and he was put to trial because of it and suffered harm. He died in Sha`baan, and was buried…next to his Shaikh, Ibn Taimiyyah.” -rahimahullaah.


ASH-SHAWKAANEE:

Muhammad ibn `Alee ibn Muhammad ibn `Abdullaah, ash-Shawkaanee, then as-San`aanee [the capital of Yemen]. He was born on Monday the 28th of Dhul-Qa`dah in 1173 H in the town of Hijrah Shawkaan.

He grew up in the manner of students of legislated knowledge, memorizing the Qur·aan and becoming proficient in it, and he memorized many of the texts before he began serious study by the age of ten. Then he sat with the major Shaikhs, and he greatly occupied himself with studying history in the sciences of the language. His father did not allow him to occupy himself with other than knowledge, nor to leave San`aa. He sat to deliver verdicts at the age of twenty, and he had thirteen lessons each day: some he delivered, and others he studied with his Shaikhs. [‘al-Badrut-Taali`’: (2/215, 218-219)]

He authored 278 works, including works of Tafseer, Fiqh, Usoolul-Fiqh, the `Aqeedah of the Salaf, and in refutation of blind-following (taqleed). al-`Allaamah Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Bahkalee said…: (start of quote): “In the year 1250 H, in the month of Jumaadal-Aakhirah, our Shaikh Muhammad ibn `Alee ash-Shawkaanee passed away. He was the judge of the whole community, Shaikhul-Islaam, the verifier, the `Allaamah, the imaam, sultaan of the scholars, imaam of the world….

So in summary, he did not see anyone the like of himself; nor did he see anyone who had seen the like of him in knowledge, piety and establishment of the truth with strength of spirit and eloquence of tongue…. He was born on Monday, the 28th of the sacred month of Dhul-Qa`dah in the year 1172 H….

He studied under his father, and studied continuously under the Qaadee, imaam of the details of Fiqh in his time Ahmad ibn Muhammad alHaraazee, and he derived benefit from him in Fiqh… He learned Arabic grammar and morphology from as-Sayyid al-`Allaamah Ismaa`eel ibn Hasan, and al-`Allaamah `Abdullaah ibn Ismaa`eel an-Nahmee, and al- `Allaamah al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad al-Khawlaanee… and in many of the branches of knowledge he studied constantly with the reviver of his time as Sayyid `Abdul-Qaadir ibn Ahmad al-Kawkabaanee; and in the science of hadeeth he took from al-Haafiz `Alee ibn Ibraaheem ibn `Aamir, and from other Shaikhs besides them….

He authored magnificent, delightful, beneficial, and useful works in most branches of knowledge; from them ‘Naylul-Awtaar’ – a commentary upon ‘Muntaqal-Akhbaar’ of [Majduddeen `Abdus-Salaam] Ibn Taimiyyah – rahimahullaah- in four volumes the like of which is not to be seen in these times with regard to its careful verification and precision. He gave each matter its due right, with justice and fairness; and did not adhere to blindfollowing. He quoted the positions of the later scholars and of the Predecessors. His noble Shaikhs and other prominent scholars related it from him, and it spread throughout the lands in his lifetime. It was read to him many times, and the scholars derived benefit from it; and it was the only one out of his works that he was personally satisfied with, because of its high level of accuracy, and its close adherence to proof in the best manner. He wrote it during the lifetime of his Shaikhs, and they were able to point out certain points, which he edited.

He also wrote the large Tafseer entitled ‘Fathul-Qadeer’ which combined the sciences of narration of hadeeth, and its understanding… … And I [i.e. his student Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Bahkalee] learned from him in many of the fields of knowledge, and I took from him most of his noble works, and with his death the shining lamp of Yemen was extinguished for them; and I do not think that in precision and verification they will see the like of him.” (end of quote.)

And the Lord of creation, the One free of all imperfections-blessed this Qaadee and Imaam from the vast ocean of His Generosity with three things which I do not know to have been combined in these later times for anyone besides him: Firstly: Vast and deep knowledge of all the different branches, types and forms of knowledge; secondly: the great number of students he had who were verifiers, people of nobility and precision: people of discerning intellect, and outstanding virtues…; thirdly: the great number of his skilled and precise works, and his intricate treatises and responses which in their number outstripped great scholars, and whose precision and exactness reached every possible limit…”-rahimahullaah.

[‘at-Taajul-Mukallal’ (pp.452-461) of `Allaamah Siddeeq Hasan Khaan alQanoojee; and the introduction to ‘Fathul-Qadeer.’]


AS-SA`DEE:

“Ash-Shaikh Aboo `Abdillaah `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir ibn `Abdillaah ibn Naasir Aal-Sa`dee, from the tribe of Tameem. He was born in the town of `Unayzah in the district of al-Qaseem [Saudi Arabia], on the 12th of Muharram 1307 H and his mother died when he was four years old. Then his father died when he was seven years old, so he grew up as an orphan. However he had a fine up bringing and it was noticed that from an early age he was distinguished by intelligence and a desire to learn. He read the whole Qur·aan after the death of his father and then memorized it completely, and he was fully proficient in it at the age of eleven. Then he occupied himself with acquiring knowledge from the scholars of his land, and from those who came to his land. So he strove and exerted himself until he acquired a good portion of every branch of knowledge. Upon reaching the age of twentythree he sat to teach. So he would learn and also teach, and spend all of his time in that. This continued until the year 1350 H, when he took charge of all teaching in his town, and all students referred back to him. He took knowledge from Shaikh Ibraaheem ibn Hamd ibn Jaasir, and he was the first teacher he studied with. He described his Shaikh as a memorizer of hadeeth, and he would speak about his piety and how he used to love and take care of the poor. Often a poor person would come to him in winter and he would take off one of his two garments and give it to the poor person, even though he himself needed it and possessed very little himself – rahimahullaah.

Also from his Shaikhs was Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Kareem ash-Shibl, with whom he learned Fiqh, sciences of Arabic language and other than that. He also studied with ash-Shaikh Saalih ibn `Uthmaan al-Qaadee, the judge of `Unayzah. He learnt from him Tawheed, Tafseer, Fiqh: its Usool and its details, and the sciences of the Arabic language. He was the one whom he studied with the most, and he kept his company constantly until he passed away -rahimahullaah.

He also studied with Shaikh `Abdullaah ibn `Aayid, and Shaikh Sa`b alQuwayjaree, and Shaikh `Alee as-Sinaanee, and Shaikh `Alee an-Naasir Aboo Waadee with whom he studied hadeeth, and took the six books and others from him with ‘ijaazah’ (permission to narrate).

He also studied with Shaikh Muhammad ibn ash-Shaikh `Abdul-`Azeez Aal Muhammad al-Maani` (the director of cultural/educational affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at present); he studied with him in `Unayzah. Also from his Shaikhs was Shaikh Muhammad ash-Shanqeetee (who settled in the Hijaaz…) when he came to teach in `Unayzah. He studied with him Tafseer, Hadeeth, the sciences of Hadeeth, and the sciences of the language – such as grammar, morphology and so on.

He was upon a high level of virtuous manners, showing humility with the young and the old, and the rich and the poor. He used to spend some of his time sitting in gatherings with whoever wished to attend, so the gathering would be a gathering of knowledge. He was keen that these gatherings should discuss matters of knowledge and social affairs, and the people of the gatherings would derive great benefit from the useful discussions they involved themselves in. So their recreational gatherings were turned into gatherings of worship and knowledge. He would speak to each person with whatever befitted him, and would discuss with him matters that would be beneficial to his worldly life and his Hereafter.

He would frequently resolve dispute in a just manner which satisfied both sides.

He had great concern for the poor, the needy, and strangers and he would personally assist them as far as he was able, and he would encourage the wealthy people – those whom he knew to love doing good – to be compassionate towards them.

He was upon a very high level of good manners, chastity, purity of spirit, and firmly resolved and serious in all his affairs.

He was also the best of people in his manner of teaching, and the best at causing his students to understand…

He occupied himself most of all and benefited most from the books of Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah and his student Ibnul-Qayyim. This benefited him greatly with regard to knowledge of Usool, Tawheed, Tafseer, and Fiqh and other branches of beneficial knowledge…

He was especially proficient in Tafseer, having read a number of Tafseers and excelling in it. He authored a fine Tafseer, in a number of volumes…entitled ‘Tayseerul-Kareemir-Rahmaan fee Tafseer KalaamilMannaan’.… He passed away at the age of 69 in the year 1376 in the town of `Unayzah – rahimahullaah…”

[Abridged from the biography written by one of his students and included as a preface to his Tafseer].

Posted from :
Tafseer Soorat-in-Naba’- from the works of numerous mufassireen.
Compiled and translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah

By Time. Mankind is Certainly in Loss – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 04 – Part B & Lesson 05 
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

And the Proof is He the Most High’s saying:

وَالْعَصْرِ
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

By Time. Mankind is certainly in loss. Except for those who have eemaan (those who truly believe) and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another with the truth and enjoin one another with patience. [103:1-3]11


[11]:

It is obligatory that you learn these four matters in detail – is there any proof for what the Shaikh has said? That it is obligatory upon us to learn these four matters, and he has promised us that he will not say anything except with a proof, so where is the proof? The proof upon that is His saying, He the Most High,

Bismillaahirrahmaanirraheem

By Time. Mankind is certainly in loss. Except for those who have eemaan (those who truly believe) and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another with the truth and enjoin one another with patience. [103:1-3]

“Except for those who have eemaan”, this is the first matter: knowledge, because eemaan cannot be except through knowledge, which is awareness of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, awareness of His Prophet and awareness of the religion of Islaam with the proofs.

The second matter: “And they perform the righteous deeds”, this is action upon the knowledge.

The third matter: “And they enjoin each other with the truth”, this is calling to the knowledge and action.

The fourth matter: “And they enjoin each other with patience”, upon harm in the path of calling to knowledge and action.

So His saying, He the One free of all imperfections:

وَالْعَصْرِ

By Time. [103:1]

The, “Waw”, is the waw-ul-qasm (the ‘waw’ of an oath). And Al-‘Asr is a noun upon which an oath is sworn and it is majroor, and the sign that it is majroor is that it has a kasrah upon it. And what is meant is Time and a time period.

Allaah, the Most High, swears by a time period and by Time, and it is something created. And Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, swears by whatever He wishes from the creation, but the creation may not swear an oath except by Allaah. And Allaah does not swear an oath except by something which has importance, and which contains a Sign from His Signs, He the Perfect and Most High. So this Time, contains a lesson and has importance, and therefore Allaah swore an oath by Time, and He swore by the night when it covers, and He swore an oath by the daytime brightness.

But as for the creation, then he may not swear an oath except by Allaah. And it is not permissible for us to swear an oath by other than Allaah. He sallallaahu’ alaihi wa sallam said:

“Whoever swears an oath by other than Allaah, then he has committed unbelief or he has committed shirk.”[1]

And he said: 

“Whoever is going to swear an oath, then let him swear by Allaah or let him keep silent.”[2]

So Allaah swears by whatever he wishes and he does not swear except by something which has importance and which contains a lesson, so what is the lesson here in this Time? The lessons are tremendous, the succession of the night and the day, and how they interchange and take from each other, this one taking from that one, and that one taking from this one, and they succeed each other in this amazing ordered manner which does not vary or alter.

This is a proof for the Ability of Allaah the Perfect and Most High. And then, whatever occurs within this Time from events and catastrophies and calamities and from favours and blessings and good things, and whatever occurs within this Time, this is from the lessons. And likewise because night and day are an arena for righteous action to be performed in. He the Most High said:

 .. وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً 

And He (Allaah) is the One who made the night and the day to follow each other in succession … 

Meaning they follow each other in succession, this one follows on from this one.

لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا ..

… for whoever wants to be reminded of Allaah or whoever wants to give thanks for Allaah’s favours. [25:62]

And in some of the recitations of this aayah, it occurs:

… for the one who wants to remember Allaah … [25:62]

So the night and the day are a tremendous bounty to be earned for a person who utilizes them in obedience to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and the arena for action is the night and the day, you have nothing else besides the night and the day, they are the arena for action and for good and pure earning for this world and the hereafter. So in the night and the day there are lessons and there are benefits, so therefore Allaah swore an oath by Time.

What is this oath sworn upon? It is His saying:

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ

Mankind is certainly in loss. [103:2]

It (Mankind) means all of the descendants of Aadam, He did not exclude anyone, neither the kings nor the leaders, nor the rich people nor the poor people, nor the free people nor the slaves, nor the males nor the females. So, “Al-”, in, “Al-Insaan”, is for istighraaq – to make the word all-inclusive. All of the descendants of Aadam are in loss, meaning they will be in loss and destruction if they waste this precious Time, and they utilize it in disobedience to Allaah and in doing that which will harm them.

And this Time which is very cheap with many people, time seems prolonged for them, they become weary and bored, and they say, “We want to kill some time”. So they bring amusements, or they travel abroad to spend a holiday and just to spend some time somewhere, or they laugh and joke to use up time. So those people, they use it up and waste it – then it will be loss and regret upon them on the Day of Resurrection. And it could be the source of their true happiness, if only they took care of it.

So all of the descendants of Aadam are in loss and destruction, except for those who have the four qualities which are: knowledge and action and calling to Allaah and having patience upon any harm which the person meets. So whoever has these four qualities will be saved from this loss.

And having eemaan in Allaah is not possible except through having knowledge, which is knowledge and awareness of Allaah.

وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ 

And they perform the righteous and correct deeds [103:3] 

Meaning they perform the righteous deeds from the obligatory duties and the recommended duties. So they utilize their time in performing the righteous deeds in that which will benefit them in their religion and in their worldly life, for even worldly action contains good and can contain reward if it is done with the intention of using it as an aid upon obedience. So how about action for the hereafter. So what is important is that you do not waste the time, rather you use it in something which will be to your advantage and benefit you.

وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ

And they enjoin each other with the truth [103:3]

They command the good and they forbid the evil and they call to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and they teach beneficial knowledge and they propagate knowledge and good amongst the people. They become callers to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

And they enjoin each other with having patience. [103:3]

They have patience upon whatever strikes them. AsSabr in the language means restraining, and what is meant by it here is restraining oneself upon obedience to Allaah. And it is of three types:

  • The first one is: Patience upon obedience to Allaah.
  • The second one is: Patience in keeping away from those things which Allaah has forbidden.
  • The third one is: Having patience with those things which Allaah has Pre-decreed to occur.

So the first: patience upon obedience to Allaah, because the person’s soul desires laziness and desires relaxation, so therefore a person must force it to have patience upon obedience and upon the prayer and upon fasting and upon jihaad in Allaah’s cause even though it may dislike these matters, he should cause it to have patience and he should restrain it on obedience to Allaah.

And the second: patience in keeping away from those things Allaah has made forbidden. The soul desires forbidden things and desires. It inclines towards them and is attracted to them, so therefore the person must bind it and restrain it away from the forbidden things, and this requires patience, and it is not easy to prevent the soul from desires and forbidden things. Whoever does not have patience, then his soul will overcome him and incline towards forbidden things.

The third is: having patience with the painful things which Allaah has decreed, the calamities which strike a person, from the death of a close relative or loss of wealth or illness which befalls a person, he must have patience upon the pre-ordainment and pre-decree of Allaah and he should not become vexed and he should not become angry, rather he should restrain the tongue from wailing and forbidden lamenting and from displaying anger and he should withhold himself from vexation and he should withhold his limbs from striking the cheeks and from tearing the front-opening of the garments. This is patience upon calamities.

As for faults, then he should not have patience upon them, rather he should repent to Allaah and flee away from them. However, with regard to calamities which are not something which you yourself have done, rather they are from Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, He has decreed that they will occur to you as a test and a trial or as a punishment for you for sins which you have committed just as there occurs in His saying the Most High:

وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ

And whatever calamity strikes you then it is on account of the sins which your hands have committed and Allaah pardons and does not punish, a great deal. [42:30]

So if a calamity strikes the Muslim in his self or in his wealth or in his children or his close relative or one of his brothers from the Muslims, then it is upon him to have patience and to await reward. He, the Most High, said:

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

Those who, when a calamity strikes them they say, “Indeed we belong to Allaah and we will certainly be returning to Him”. Those people, upon them is praise from their Lord and mercy, and they are the ones who are guided. [2:156-157] 

This is patience, and from that is having patience upon harm which comes in calling to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, for that is from the calamities. So it is upon you to have patience upon whatever you meet from harm upon the path of good. And do not turn away from doing good, because some people wish to do good, however, if something which he dislikes faces him he then says, “It is not obligatory upon me to enter myself into these matters”. Then he abandons teaching if he is a teacher, he abandons calling to Allaah, he abandons giving the khutbah if he is a khateeb (one who gives the khutbah in a mosque), he abandons leading the prayer in the mosque, he abandons commanding the good and forbidding the evil – this person has not had patience upon the harm which came to him.

And if you are upon error, then it is upon you to turn back to the truth and to correctness, but if you are upon  something true and you have not erred, then it is upon you to have patience and to await and expect reward and to be aware and to feel that this is in the cause of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and that you will receive reward for it, and that you remember the harm which occurred to the Prophets ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam and how they had patience and how they strove and fought in Allaah’s cause, until Allaah the Mighty and Majestic gave them victory.


Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: لَوْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ حُجَّةً عَلَى خَلْقِهِ إِلاَّ هَذِهِ السُّوْرَةَ لَكَفَتْهُمْ

Ash-Shaafi‘ee rahimahullaah said: “If Allaah had not sent down any proof upon his creation except this soorah, then that would have sufficed for them.”12


[12]:

His saying, “Ash-Shaafi‘ee”: He is the Imaam Muhammad ibn Idrees Ash-Shaafi‘ee and Ash-Shaafi‘ee is an ascription to his great great grandfather who was called Shaafi‘, and he was from Quraish from Banul-Muttalib. He died in the year 204 H, and he was one of the four Imaams. And he said this saying, because Allaah has made clear in this soorah the reasons for wretchedness and the means for true happiness and success.

So the means for true happiness and success is that the person has these four characteristics: knowledge, and action, and calling, and having patience upon harm in the cause of Allaah the Most High. So Allaah’s proof is established upon His creation through this soorah. Allaah the Perfect says to them – I have made clear to you the means for true happiness in this short and brief soorah.

And the Qur’aan, all of it, and the Sunnah are details for these four matters. However, this soorah has made clear the means to true happiness and success in general terms, through it the proof has been established upon the creation, and the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah give the details and clarify these four matters. And the speech of Ash-Shaafi‘ee does not mean that this soorah is sufficient for mankind, even if Allaah had not sent down anything else. But rather it has established the proof upon them, because Allaah has made clear in it the means to true happiness and the reasons for total wretchedness, so on the Day of Resurrection no-one can say, “I did not know the means to true happiness and I did not know the reasons leading to total wretchedness”, when he has read this brief and short soorah.

Footnotes

[1] Reported by Aboo Daawood and At-Tirmidhee from a hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa [Al-Albaanee – saheeh].

[2] Reported by al Bukhaaree as hadeeth 6108 and by Muslim as hadeeth 1646/3 as a hadeeth also of Ibn ‘Umar radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa.

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah. Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah. Translated by  Daawood  Burbank, rahimahullaah

Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Basmalah : It is Befitting to Begin With it in Every Important Affair – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Bismillaah

[11:33 minutes]
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 01 : Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

The Author’s Introduction

قال رحمه الله: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: In the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.1


[1]: He began, may Allaah have mercy upon him, this treatise with the Basmalah, following the example of the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, since the first thing which you see in the mus-haf (the printed copy of the Qur’aan), and before every soorah of it is, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm (In the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy).

So therefore it is used to begin treatises, or letters and books and works following the example of the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. And likewise the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam used to write it at the start of his letters when he wrote to the governors and the chiefs and to those who were in the different regions of the earth, calling them to Islaam, he would begin his letter with,  Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm.

And he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam used to begin his talks and his speech with,  Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm (“In the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”), which shows that beginning with,  Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm, is the sunnah of the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam, just as Sulaymaan ‘alaihissalaam when he wrote to Bilqees, the Queen of Saba’, he began his letter with, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm:

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ
إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ

She said: O chiefs, a noble letter has been delivered to me, it is from Sulaymaan, and it reads, “In the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”. Do not be haughty, and refuse what I call you to, but rather come to me in submission”. [27:29-31]

So it is befitting to begin with, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm, in every important affair and in every work which has importance and value, and in every letter.

So therefore those people who do not begin their works and their letters with, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm , those people have left the Prophetic sunnah and left following the example of the Book of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and perhaps because of that these books of theirs and these letters of theirs do not contain blessing and do not contain benefit, because they are deprived of, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm. So therefore, they are deprived of benefit.

Why did they abandon, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm? They abandoned it because it is a sunnah, and they flee away from the sunnah, or they blindly follow those people who flee away from the sunnah. So it is befitting that attention is given to the like of this.

So the meaning of, Bismi Allāhi Ar-Raĥmāni Ar-Raĥīm, is seeking aid through the Name of Allaah.

So his saying, Bismi Allāh (With the Name of Allaah), this is a preposition, and a word which is governed by the preposition, connected to something which is left unmentioned, whose meaning is taken to be, “I seek aid through the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”, or, “I begin with the Name of Allaah, the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy”, seeking blessings by means of it and seeking the aid of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

So therefore it is a tremendous preface for speech and for books and for letters, so a person seeks the aid of Allaah in its beginning and seeks blessing by means of His Name, He the Perfect and Most High.

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah. Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah. Translated by  Daawood  Burbank, rahimahullaah

Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah

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Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles